1977 Gran Fury Police Car Project?

[PursuitSpecial]

I'm debating whether or not I should fix this car and drive it. It's a 77 Gran Fury that was used as an undercover police car by the Cumberland county sheriff's office. It's got a lot of problems, a broken left torsion bar, broken front door handles, dead gas in the tank and some body rust issues. My dad bought the car about 30 years ago when they were dirt cheap as a source for heavy duty parts and 440 engines, he didn't dissect this one because it has a 400. It sat for the last 20 years in a field and I just recently got it running. It runs good, goes into gear and drives around, all the lights work and nothing appears to be wrong electrically. I love these old cop cars and they're getting hard to find, I wish there were more out there I could use for parts but I can't find anything. I don't want to spend a lot of money on repairs because of the body panels being shot and they're impossible to get. New torsion bars are several hundred dollars and I don't want to invest that kind of money if the car doesn't turn out to be streetable for some reason. I don't want to make anything fancy, if I can just get it in a drivable state I'll be happy. Do you think it's worth it?

 

[Justin Plant]

The best way to make a small fortune on a car, spend a big one on it. That said don't look at it as an investment. Hobbys rarely are anyway. If your dad is still with us, work on it with him. If he has gone on, make it a tribute to him. There are still parts out there, you'll need a factory service manual and a factory parts book. Mopar part number and google searches are the only way to go looking. The car will likely never be a BIG seller when it comes to money. Most formals are in the 10-12k range or less. Just enjoy it, keep us posted. Oh, and pictures lots of pictures.

 

[CBODY67]

Genuine VIN police cars might be getting hard to get, but there can be other normal cars out there which can serve as parts sources.

As to the torsion bar, if the formals were like prior C-bodies, the factory HD suspension got the same bars as normal cars with factory a/c. The main difference was in the rear leaf springs, which were heavier with more leaves. Then, the HD shocks that went with it all. Perhaps I'm incorrect on this, but it's what I noticed in the Chrysler parts book. The formals, too, would have had a rear sway bar, too. Cars with factory a/c and the HD trailer package could be great donors, too.

Otherwise, the main thing would be the wiring to support the many electrical demands which police use put on the cars. Alternators and wiring, mainly. There are a couple of police car clubs out there, too, but from what I've seen, many have the later Crown Vics in them.

Other than the uniqueness of the police car, the main issue would be rust. Where it is and how much. Fenders and quarter panels are one thing, underbody and such are quite another.

I've always liked Chrysler Corp police cars. They always seemed to showcase the inherent toughness of the designs and powertrains, even in the later "unpowerful" years. Cars that always got the job done, reliably and consistently.

I fully understand the family ties issue. I know that after careful deliberations, y'all will make the right decision.

Take care,
CBODY67

 

[commando1]

There are bluesmobile fans that will pay an insane price for your rustbucket as it stands. Then use the money to buy a nice car.

 

[amazinblue82]

Other than the uniqueness of the police car, the main issue would be rust. Where it is and how much. Fenders and quarter panels are one thing, underbody and such are quite another.

 

[PursuitSpecial]

The rust is worst in the lower quarters and trunk, it's completely rusted through there. The floor pans have a few small holes, but the frame is still solid at least. I'm not going to pursue this car as a roadworthy project for now because of the rust. I'm just trying to get it where I can move it around the yard. Also I found a potential source for torsion bars - I have 2 1965 Polaras that I can take the bars from, if they'll fit. I pulled the broken bar out of the 77 and it measures 47" long and 1.060 diameter, really big for a stock bar. For now I stick welded the old torsion bar back together to keep the car up, I'll see if it holds temporarily. I'm probably going to end up pulling the engine and transmission to use in my 74 Challenger. I guess I'll have to make due with my 81 Gran fury cop car for my bluesmobile, its in way better shape and has excellent road manners... unlike the gas guzzling 400, it will burn a gallon of gas just idling for 2 or 3 minutes. My dad is helping me with all of these projects, he's a Mopar guru and has tons of cars and parts laying around here.

 

[71Polara383]

Thats the rust?

Put a set of good used T-bars in that car and make it a driver, then sell it to a collector.

 

[Stern70]

I would fix that in a heartbeat, I've fixed way worse. It might not ever be worth a lot of it's been all patched up but if you like it then that's all that matters. I have a 74 fury 1 that I wanna fix and it is 10X worse that yours!